


The Day You Rescued The World

by LemurMonster



Series: The life of Kanin [10]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Anniversary, Don't copy to another site, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friendship, Gifts, M/M, Nuka-World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 18:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19469647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LemurMonster/pseuds/LemurMonster
Summary: Kanin wants to make the perfect gift for Danny and Gage. It's not as easy as she thought it might be.





	The Day You Rescued The World

**Author's Note:**

> Overboss Danny belongs to the very talented [Danithemani](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danithemani). He's such a great inspiration and motivates me to write more. Thank you for putting up with me, and feeding my imagination. He's always giving me pointers and helping me improve. Special thanks to lovely [SunSolace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsolace) for helping me out.

Kanin sat in one of the red booths at Fizztop, feet tucked under her small frame. She bounced, shifting her weight from one leg to the other while she hovered over several papers that lay scattered about the table. Sunlight shone brightly through the old windows, making it ideal for her to work. Her head tilted to the side while her face was scrunched up in thought. Kanin was meticulous in guiding the lead of her worn down pencil over a piece of paper. 

All of a sudden, the crack of lead could be heard as her pencil skittered across the sheet. Her eyes followed a small chunk of lead rolling along the table. With a huff, she flipped the pencil over and aggressively erased the bold lines that she just created.

Kanin sat there for what seemed like hours, trying her best to get it perfect. But she was beginning to wear a hole in the once clean piece of paper. 

Focused on her task, Kanin almost didn't hear the heavy footsteps growing louder as they approached. Her ears drawn to the sound, she glanced up, almost too late to keep her secret. Kanin jumped up and plopped herself onto the table, spreading herself out to cover all the evidence of her creation best she could. 

Once she was sure everything was hidden well enough, she looked up and smiled at Gage as if it were a normal afternoon, and not like she was draped over a table with her legs hanging down. She watched as the eyebrow over his good eye slowly crept up his forehead and his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Oh hey, Sweet Cheeks,” Kanin said, flashing her best smile.

Gage’s weight shifted to one side, and a knowing grin greeted her. “Seem awfully busy there. Whatcha workin’ on?” 

His calloused fingers reached out for the corner of a paper that was peeking from under her elbow. Panic surged through her.  _ He's going to see, the surprise is going to be spoiled _ . 

“It's important!” she shouted, louder than intended, as she scrambled to tuck the page further under her. 

Afraid he'd seen part of her project, Kanin propped her elbow on the table, her chin resting in the palm of her hand, while forcing a smile for the older raider. She'd been planning this for a couple of weeks, and it couldn't be ruined so close to when she could show them. One more day. It had to stay a secret, or he'd tell Boss Bear if he saw.

Gage looked down at her, sprawled unceremoniously over the table. “Yeah, looks like it.” He stood watching her with a calculating eye. 

Kanin internally panicked. She didn't like keeping secrets from him. Matter of fact, she usually told him more than he sometimes wanted to hear. But this was important; it meant a lot to her. He meant a lot to her, so it needed to be perfect. 

Charm wasn't working, so Kanin needed to switch tactics. Her head tilted and her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him, trying her best to give him sad eyes. “It's not done yet,” her eyes grew bigger while her eyebrows furrowed with worry, “you can't see it.”

He huffed, placing his hands on the edge of the table and leaning down, getting closer to her. “You know that shit don't work on me.” A chuckle, deep and warm, rumbled out of him. “Best not be plannin’ a prank Boss can't handle.”

His warning confused her. She didn't prank Boss Bear; he didn't like them. He said he liked her jokes better. Kanin's head fell to the side, her bafflement written clearly on her features. 

Gage's laugh brought her focus back. His warm hand ruffled through her hair before pushing her head to the side in a playful manner. His eye watched her hair spring back in place before he grinned at her. “I see, I ain't good enough to plot with.” 

He slowly turned as Kanin started to protest. He was more than enough to plot with. The best. He even gave her ideas and sometimes helped her pranks to be more creative. But this wasn't a prank. This was a surprise for him as well, so he couldn't see it yet. Watching Gage saunter back to the sofa, she knew he was trying to break her, as he walked slower than usual. She started to say something, but clamped her mouth shut. One more day.

Gage sat down on the sofa, leaning back the way he did. Almost like an invitation to snuggle up with him. She could see him glancing at her, he knew she was watching. Gage stretched an arm over the back of the red sofa and sighed. She wanted nothing more than to run over there and curl up in his lap, but she had a job to finish. He stretched further, pulling a pillow over to his side as his legs fell open. 

Kanin narrowed her eyes at him. She knew he was trying to bait her. It was working, but she was determined to be stronger. Her eyes stayed trained on him, waiting for him to get comfortable. He'd not want to get up for some time once that happens.

It wasn't long before she heard him whisper, “Shit.” 

Gage reached over and grabbed Clara, Boss' pipboy. She heard him click through the menus before a cheerful tune started to play. He was trying to beat Shaun's score in the  _ Grognak _ game. She had the lowest score; never could find the lady, but the sounds sure were fun. 

Kanin watched Gage sink into the cushions. That was her sign that it was now safe. She lifted herself off the table with great care and peeled a sheet of paper off of her arm. She rested her knees back on the padded bench and gathered all the papers together, making sure none were lost. Getting back to the task at hand, Kanin put all her focus into creating the perfect gift.

After a couple of hours, Kanin gave up scribbling and scratching violently at papers. She heaved out a defeated sigh before she let her head fall to the table with a thud. She could see Gage look over at her out of the corner of her eye. 

Kanin was trying so hard, but it wasn't coming out right. She wasn't smart enough for this, but it was important and she wanted to make this special. 

Growing angry at herself, she grabbed at all the papers, some of them crumpling between her small fingers. She jerked her bag open and shoved everything inside without care.

Not looking at Gage, she hopped down and slung her bag over her head. Ashamed, she looked down. Her mumble was barely audible, “I'm going for a walk.” 

Gage started to say something, but stopped as she punched the button on the lift. He knew she'd come to him when she was ready for help. 

Kanin found herself wandering around Nuka Town, listening to all the raiders laughing and talking amongst themselves. The chatter was so much more cheerful now than before. Before, when Colter was Boss, there were whispers and anger. She was glad he was gone. She loved her Boss now. He kept them all safe, but more importantly, he kept Gage safe and happy. He's a good Boss.

He was always encouraging her to do things that others said she couldn't. Telling her that if she practiced, she could do anything. Her eyes fell to the ground and she toed at a pebble. She'd been practicing all day, but hadn't gotten any better. Maybe she should have asked Gage for help; he was really smart. But then it wouldn't be a surprise for them both. Boss Bear liked silly things while Gage huffed, but she could tell he liked them, too. It was just a secret. 

Her thoughts were broken when a Pack raider called her Runt. Kanin looked up at the two standing in front of her. They were always dressed in the brightest colors. Happy raiders. 

The lady spoke up, saying, “Look a bit serious there, Runt. Someone pickin' on ya?”

Kanin shook her head no. “Just thinking.”

“Careful, might hurt yourself.” The man in the bird mask laughed, causing the colorful feathers to dance about his head. He made a weak attempt to punch Kanin's arm while the lady laughed with him.

Kanin wasn't sure how thinking could hurt, but laughed with the other raiders anyways. They were nice and she didn't want to hurt their feelings. She looked up at the lady raider, smiling at the beautiful paint covering her face when an idea popped into her head. 

Kanin gestured for them both to come closer. The three raiders huddled together, and she said, “You're both bright. Do you think you could help me with something?”

The man in the bird mask puffed up, looking so much like the birds she's seen in picture books. The lady next to him elbowed him in the side. “I'm smart, he's dumb. Whatcha need help with, Runt?” Her jab deflated her companion a bit, but he didn't argue. 

Kanin held her hand up to shield her words and whispered to them both, “I need help with a couple of words, want to be sure they're right.” She looked at them both, worried.

The lady nodded and grinned. “Sure thing, what's the words?”

Kanin leaned in and whispered into her ear. The lady raider nodded her head in agreement while the man got impatient. She stood up tall when Kanin leaned back, looking at her in hope.

The woman smiled and listed off a bunch of letters to Kanin. She tried to memorize them when the man interrupted, “That ain't right.”

“Is too!” She looked angry, like she wanted to hit him.

“No, it ain't. Been readin’ since I was a lad, I'd know.” He poked at her nose to rub it in.

“That ain't true. I knew you as a kid. You've got Brahmin shit for brains.” 

Kanin giggled at her comment and they both looked at her and chuckled. 

The man glanced down at her, and she couldn't tell if he could see out of the mask let alone over that long nose. “Ya got any paper? I can write it for you.” 

Kanin lit up and was swift to hand him some paper and a crayon from her bag.

The lady mumbled something about him being a showoff. Kanin wasn’t sure why, when he was just helping like he was asked. Kanin watched as the raiders bickered over the words until they seemed happy enough. The man held out the paper for her and Kanin carefully took it. She looked up at them both with big eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”

They both stood there a moment before the lady raider smiled and patted Kanin on the shoulder. “No problem, gotta keep Boss’ top people happy.”

The bird mask nodded in agreement. “Makes the Overboss happy.”

Kanin nodded in agreement. They were smart raiders. Boss Bear did have his happy face more when his raiders were in a good mood. Made Gage happy too, but she didn't think that had to do with the raiders. She giggled and held the paper close before running off to her other home, yelling thanks over her shoulder to the two Pack raiders. 

It wasn't far to her old home, which was still safe and secure. And this way she didn't have to worry about Gage looking over her shoulder. She was light on her feet and grabbed new papers from a cupboard, laying everything out on her dining table. 

Kanin looked at the paper the raiders wrote the words on. Studying how the letters looked. She grabbed some crayons, her least favorite colors, to practice on old paper. Kanin sat there for hours, trying so hard to get every line perfect. When she finally was confident enough, she pulled over a clean sheet and carefully wrote the words at the top, making sure to leave room at the bottom for her picture. 

The longer she worked, the more hunched over the table she became. Soon she was on her knees while her toes curled around the back of the chair, in such deep concentration that she was biting her tongue and didn't notice her stomach growling in protest.

After putting the last line of color on her masterpiece, Kanin sat up straight and winced at the soreness in her back. She looked around, trying to figure out how long she was hunched over the table. Light shone through the windows, and she wondered,  _ When did the sun come up? _

Kanin stood up and tried to stretch out stiff muscles. Her eyes were heavy, but this was important and couldn't wait. She gingerly wrapped the surprise in some old newspapers and taped it. 

Gathering her things and slowly trudged her way to the lift that rose up to the place she called home. She could never figure out why this walk always was longer when she was tired. She walked this way all the time, and it wasn’t like Fizztop moved. And yet it was. It was longer when she was tired. Except for those times Boss Bear or Gage carried her. Those were good days for tired feet.

Kanin reached up and fumbled a couple times before hearing the button for the lift click. Her eyes trailed over to the dim red light and watched it until the metal platform jerked in place, reminding her where she was. Sluggishly, she stepped off the lift and let her boots fall off her feet. Kanin nudged them next to Danny's and Gage's larger ones and Shaun's smaller shoes. They were lined up neatly, so she tried to not make a mess of it. 

Kanin looked up to see Gage relax his hand and pull it away from his pistol on the side table.

Danny sat up in the bed and looked over at her, worried. “You didn't come home to snuggle last night. Kay, is everything alright?”

Gage grinned and mumbled something about ‘better than snuggles’. Danny lightly smacked Gage's shoulder. “Porter Gage!” He blushed a faint pink and his eyes smiled. 

Kanin watched them and had a lazy smile on her lips. He was a good Boss, the best she'd known. They were happy, and that made her happy. This was a good day to remember. Gage grinned at her when Danny nuzzled into his neck. Kanin giggled and pointed towards the kitchen. “Breakfast?”

Danny sat up taller and stretched his arms out to her. They looked very inviting. “Nooo, come over here, honey.” His voice was always soft and gentle, like him. Welcoming.

Kanin let her bag fall off of her shoulder, still holding the surprise close to her chest as she shuffled over to the large bed. Once she got close enough, Gage reached over and lifted her up, pulling her into the bed. She gave no resistance and wanted to curl up with them. 

“’Nother nightmare?” Gage's drawl was soft against her hair.

Kanin shook her head no while Danny looked at the dark circles under her eyes. “Needed to finish something for the special day today.”

She could feel them exchange looks over her head. Kanin craned her neck back until she bumped into Gage's chest and looked up at them with tired eyes.

“I must have forgotten, but what's special about today, sweetheart?” Danny guided her to rest more comfortably against Gage, resting her head on his chest.

Everything was dark, but it was morning. Her eyes were closed.  _ When did that happen? _

Danny's question echoed in her mind and she grinned. Kanin held up a parcel that she was protecting and waited for them to take it.

Gage carefully grabbed the thin package as Danny pulled her up to lay between them. Boss Bear made sure she was close to them both and moved the covers until they reached her shoulders. Kanin naturally nuzzled into Gage’s side and buried her face. Surrounded by people she trusted and comforting smells, it didn't take her long to drift into sleep.

-

Gage was itchin' to tear into the package, but he knew she tried her darndest to keep it from gettin' ruined. So he huffed, and gently pulled the tape off while Boss watched with interest. He wadn't sure what was so important for her to skip on snugglin'? And she ain't never kept a damn secret from him, even when she tried.

Inside, there was a colorful sheet of paper. Kanin had drawn a large dark man with a white shirt and flowers on his pants holding hands with a shorter man, who wore jeans and a green tank top with a yellow eye patch. 

Gage scoffed and pointed to the figure of Danny. “Her and those damn flowers.”

Danny grinned. “I'd love to have pants like that, Mr. Gage. Besides, they don't compare to the dashing gentleman next to him.”

Gage looked at the top and tried reading what she wrote. “She got close.” He smiled big. “Little thing must have stayed up all night tryin’ to get it right.”

Danny traced the letters with his finger. Gage could see the grooves worn into the page, it was obvious that she rewrote them a few times. She managed to write out ‘Hapy Aneversry’ at the top of the picture. He was proud of her; Boss hadn't taught her those words yet.

“Wait.” Danny looked over at Gage, confused. “It's not our anniversary, Porter.” 

Gage tried to hold in his burst of laughter. He didn't wanna wake Kanin; little thing was out cold. “Could be that exactly one year ago, you stumbled into the Gauntlet.”

“Has it been a year already?” Danny looked over at Gage with a grin and a hint of mischief. 

“Yeah. Best damn year I've had.” 

Danny leaned over and kissed Gage on the jaw. “Me too.”

They both looked down at Kanin and Danny hugged her tightly while she slept. He whispered into her ear, “I got a great family, too.”

Kanin giggled in her sleep and gripped onto Danny's hand. Gage couldn't help but smile at them both. “Guess it's a few more hours in bed, then.” He'd be lyin' if he said he didn't like it, but it don't mean he's gotta announce it either.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> In case it's not blatantly obvious, Kanin is not in a romantic relationship with anyone. She is and will always be a no snusnu zone.


End file.
